The music you listen to is holding you back.
Unless you have Musical anhedonia it’s safe to say that you and (pretty much) everyone around you loves music.
Personally, I can’t remember the last full day I went without listening to a tune, we tend to have soundtracks for the different phases and themes in our lives, feeling like you’re on top of the world today? There’s a song for that. Had your heart broken? I have a recommendation. It seems like there’s a song to perfectly fit the mood or any setting.
But does the song really go with the mood, or is the song exacerbating the feelings you already have, prolonging the situation. Which came first? The egg or the chicken? The music or the feelings? How is music actually affecting us?
We’re all aware of the benefits music has on us, listening to classical music puts you into a deep focus, calms the mood. But it’s a double-edged sword, for every positive, it has the power to induce the exact opposite effect.
I’m sure you’ve heard that the way children are treated up until the age of 7 will create the foundation by which they see the world as they get older. Verbally abuse a child? They’ll carry that baggage into adulthood, it will take a tremendous amount of effort to reframe the beliefs that were instilled during that time, why is this?
This is because children’s minds are like sponges, their subconscious its wide open and ready to receive information to turn into concrete beliefs. The state that children are in a majority of the time, is the same brain state we have during the first 20mins of waking, as we’re falling asleep, when we’re daydreaming or practicing meditation. Which is the result of the alpha waves being produced during those specific events, and has been called the ‘gateway to the subconscious mind’, meaning that whatever input the brain receives during this time, it will store into the subconscious mind for a short while, and repeatedly giving it the same input during the alpha state, will concretize it into your being.
Ever began daydreaming when commuting, arriving at your destination and not remembering how you got there? Or snapped out of fantasizing, only to realise you’ve been staring someone dead in the eye, welcome to the alpha state. These states are having extremely profound effects on you, and you don’t even know it.
When we listen to music it can often get drowned out, we can be driving or working out, walking down the street and not hear the song at all, but it’s still playing. This is because you’re consciously not paying attention to it anymore, but the subconscious hears everything. Be careful about the lyrics because they’re serving as affirmations now.
Have something said to you enough times, you’ll eventually believe it, at the least you’ll start questioning your belief in yourself. So, imagine the effect that listening to music with hateful lyrics for years on end is having on us?
Can we really trust that the beliefs we have about ourselves are actually our own?
The next time you’re driving in your car, or just listening to some of your favourite music, pause and really listen to it, how are the lyrics serving you? Are they uplifting you or otherwise? Listening to music thats uplifting, inspiring, about the thrill of life and conquering challenges, may just seep into your being and change the way you feel about yourself and your future.
How to maximise your life using music
- Make your alarm your favourite song that has the most positive lyrics you know of. — Hearing these words every morning (especially if sang from the 1st person point of view) will have a profound effect on you. After a few weeks you’ll begin to notice yourself thinking the lyrics during times that require immense willpower and effort.
- When you’re feeling down (e.g. suffering from heartbreak) don’t listen to depressing music! It’s only helping to dig the hole of despair deeper! listen to music that’ll help you see the positivity in life.
- When it’s time to focus, try listening to music with no lyrics or sounds created for productivity.
- You know that song that’s stuck in your head? Write out the phrase that’s looping around your cranium, it may give you a significant clue as to what’s going on in your life
Congratuations for getting this far!
